Welcome
to Nasubionna's Harry Potter Tribute! Please choose a link
below and have a look around! Thank you for visiting, please leave
some feedback in the guestbook if you'd like!
BEWARE OF SPOILERS FOR ALL THE HARRY POTTER NOVELS & MOVIES!
Places To Go:
Back Home
Book Scene Illustrations 
Character Pages
The Marauders
Magical Creatures
Quidditch Teams
Sketches Tarot
Fun
Stuff
Movie Reviews
About the Artist
About This Site
F.A.Q.
Tutorial
Banners & Links
Guestbook
MY HP MOVIE REVIEWS:
 Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I
was sooooooooooooooo excited about this, it wasn't even funny.
I obsessively checked The Leaky
Cauldron.org for pics and news, paid to see the trailers
on the big screen even though I had no interest in the movies
following them, and, like many, waited for a very
long time to see it on opening day. As the opening strains
of that beautiful 'Hedwig's Theme' played and the titles appeared
on the big screen, I couldn't help smiling widely, stupidly
in the dark. A little kid in the audience screamed, "HARRY
POTTER!" when the titles came up, everyone laughed, and
I was glad because that kid voiced out loud exactly what I
was feeling but am 'too grownup' to actually do. I was just
so happy. At first I was ecstatic about the
movie, but as time wears on and the successive movies are
made, I've realized that my rabid approval was mostly just
utter excitement.
Don't take that to mean I don't like the movie - I really
do. It's just that the parts that do
bother me, or that I feel could
have been done differently to maximize the 'feel' of the story
and world, stick out more severely to me now. It looked beautiful,
most of the music was great, and generally speaking, I love
the actors (see link below). As with all of the movies, I
am blown away by the all of the costuming and much of the
production design.
Chris Columbus is not my favorite director. I will admit that
I like the first Home Alone movie. But that was part
of the problem with this movie to me... there were too many
moments where I felt like I was watching Home Alone
again, only we were in Britain and there were three kids instead
of one. The simultaneously-screaming-at-Fluffy-in-perfect-unison
is a perfect example of this. However, to give Chris the benefit
of the doubt, it can't be easy directing hoards of kids, many
of which have never been in a movie till now. God knows I
wouldn't want to do it.
My second major gripe is some of the writing. I have absolutely
no problems with cuts that had to be made
(except one... see below). I understand that books and films
are two different mediums, and besides - if I want the story
exactly, I just read the books again. But some of the additions
irked me, because if those unnecessary additions that don't
add anything meaningful had been left out (such as Neville's
extended, pointless, very fake-looking CGI broomstick-class
accident),
we would have had more time to put in stuff that actually
came from the books, or enriched characters or dialogue or
something (such as Hermione beating the potions challenge).
Speaking of writing and Hermione... maybe I'm being overly
sensitive, but I HATE how they wrote much of Hermione. I read
that Steve Kloves, the screenwriter, liked Hermione's character
the most. This confuses me, because I feel he gave her a very
raw deal in the movie. Especially towards the end, where her
logic puzzle got cut (this is the ONE scene I felt should
not, under any circumstances, have been cut. There is no excuse
for it) And during the chess match, he has her make several
very stupid statements. It just stands out to me, and makes
me a bit irked. Meh.
But, overall I like it very much indeed, and several moments
are wonderfully done and I will love forever getting
to see them 'in the flesh', so to speak, instead of just my
imagination.
Number of Times Seen in the Theater: 8
|
 Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
By this time, I had relaxed a wee bit about
the movies. I was still excited, of course, and I was still
there in line on opening day. This time I even dressed up
like Snape, and you can't get much nerdier than that, as a
20-something year old girl.
The special effects had definitely been cranked up a notch
in this one. Especially when compared with the abominably-awful
Firenze in the first movie that made me want to stab out my
eyeballs with a spork, Dobby looked very good, indeed. At
first Dobby annoyed me, but he's grown on me over time. And
I loved Fawkes's design so much... gorgeous,
soulful, and clever-looking. And baby-Fawkes... so cute it
hurt. I believe that a combination of practical (meaning puppets)
and CGI is the best way to go, and Fawkes was just that. I
would love to get a replica of that puppet.... the basilisk
looked more like a dinosaur than a snake to me, but if I'm
holding out for the movie-makers to read my mind, I'll be
waiting a long time... suffice it to say, it was well-done,
regardless of what I feel about the design. The mandrakes
were excellent as well and I liked the mandrake taking a chunk
out of Draco's finger. XD
I also had no idea how to imagine that mystical, healing phoenix
song, but the movie interpreted it very well, I think. As
soon as I heard it (and Fawkes's theme), I got shivers (the
appropriate reaction, I think). Most of the young actors had
improved exponentially, but there were still those annoying
additions that sucked up too much time (the oh-so-dangerous-and-dramatic
flying car journey particularly... ) But I can't think of
any cuts that really bothered me, so that's good. As for the
writing... well, Hermione had improved a lot, but I feel that
Harry's character took too drastic a leap forward. Meaning,
he got about as defiant and heroic and 'macho' in this movie
as he should just be reaching by the time book 5 rolls around.
I just think that to push his character into that so soon
in the movies makes the following films and his growth a bit
less meaningful. **shrug**
But again, the costumes were fabulous, the music even better
in this one than the first, and the idea to film the diary-flashback
in sepia-tones was inspired. There were noticeably less Home
Alone moments, and I love how much screentime Filch got
(I adore David Bradley's Filch). Overall, an improvement on
the first movie.
Number of Times Seen in the Theater: 6
|
 Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Ok,
this movie rocked. The tone was closer to how I feel the books
are, the landscapes more realistic, the music even better,
the special effects excellent (Buckbeak was incredible! And
the first CGI animal poo I'd ever seen... haha!) I think Alfonso
Cuarón did a wonderful job picking up the series and
running with it. Granted, he had older, more experienced actors
to work with than Columbus had, but I feel that his more artistic
style made a big difference here. Except for the freeze-frame
of Harry at the end. That was annoying.
Again, cuts don't bother me. But I also can't think of any
additions that really irked me, which is a first. All of the
characters got somewhat new looks or 'restylings', and I think
that's just fine. I loved how Hagrid's hut had changed...
lots of weird critters running amok is perfect. The passage
of the seasons was well done, and the Time-Turner time-travel
was awesome. Stuff like time travel and revisiting
the past always gives me a very weird feeling in the pit of
my stomach... I'm strangely drawn to the idea even as the
hair on the back of my neck stands up. When that scene started...
I can't describe it. Utterly awesome. As J.K. herself said,
there were just enough near misses... I loved those
additions. where past and present versions of Harry and Hermione
almost collided. This movie also moved a lot quicker than
the first two. When it came to the Time-Turner sequence, I
was shocked that we were that close to the end already. Time
flies when you're having fun...
Speaking of having the hair on my neck raised... I must mention
the dementors. First, kudos to Cuarón
for first attempting to make them practical creatures... they
tried puppets, puppets underwater (how innovative!)... but
eventually it was decided that the best, most creepy effect
could be achieved by CGI. That works for me, because those
dementors creeped the bajeezus out of me. Excellent.
When they first appear on the train and start sucking the
life out of Harry... gaaaah... scary. I know some people found
it corny, but I found the ripples of 'energy' being sucked
from Harry's face to the gaping, black maw of the scabby,
nasty, floaty dementor very disturbing. And
the scene at the lake with Harry and Sirius and a kabillion
dementors was unbelievably even more freaky. While I'm
very disappointed with the patronus, and how much
it did not look like a stag except for some
very brief hints at antlers, the rest of that scene made me
want to hide under my bed. That feeling of repulsion and terror
was quickly remedied by a glorious, elated feeling when Harry
and Hermione break Sirius free, and the three of them soar
through the Hogwarts skies on Buckbeak. The gorgeous music,
powerful imagery, and a very happy Sirius Black (played impeccably
in this scene by Gary Oldman) just made my heart swell painfully.
That scene was right up there the way my little heart swelled
at the arrival of Fawkes in the Chamber of Secrets,
right before he rips out the basilisk's eyeballs... so beautiful.
XD
Number of Times Seen in the Theater: 10
|
 Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Overall,
I loved it. There were times when the scenes jumped so suddenly
the flow as a film suffered. But, as a visual companion to
the book, it was marvelous. While the new director, Mike Newell,
doesn't have a visual style that leapt out at me quite
as much as Cuarón's, he did a perfectly solid job of
this movie. All of the 'regular' kid actors improved unbelievably.
There was just such a difference all around, and part of that
might be because they all got different things to do, different
emotions to try, and they exceeded my expectations. Go kids,
go! I was pleased that Neville got an expanded role here,
and the new characters, for the most part, pleased me either
visually, characteristically, or both (see link below). However,
there were, in my opinion, some gross mischaracterizations
in areas (again, see link), which is disappointing. *sigh*
Didn't have an issue with any cuts here... overall it just
moved darn fast, but I can't think of anything specifically
that I was infuriated they left out. Again, I don't care for
Kloves's screenwriting at all. Some of the
dialogue just hurts my head (like Cedric yapping about the
cup being a portkey for like, half an hour, when we already
saw what a portkey does!!! ARGH! In this case, if
Kloves had just kept it how it was in the book, with Cedric
saying, "Did anyone tell you the cup was a portkey?"
it would have worked just fine without treating the audience
like idiots). As far as unnecessary additions... The Hungarian
Horntail was gorgeously done. But I didn't like the way that
scene happened. I just could not suspend my disbelief when
it broke free and started winging around Hogwarts. It would
never be allowed to happen, and if it did
happen, the dragon-wranglers would put a stop to it ASAP before
someone got hurt or a muggle saw it (or got eaten by it...haha).
One of those moments when the filmmakers think they have to
'spice things up' more than they are in the books, and it
always turns out badly. Not necessary. That being said, it
was still a beautiful design and the way it was climbing on
Hogwarts like a bat was pretty awesome. I was sad that Harry
actually killed it, though. >:( The 2nd task was soooooo
creepy... the hostages looked dead. **shudder** I liked the
mermaid habitat. The bubble-head charm was odd... it made
me think of a big saggy spit bubble or something. Hehe...
The idea of the maze itself being murderous was good. I loved
the Hogwarts pep band. XD
Barty Jr. annoyed me. The lip-licking tic got a little excessive
and he just seemed to be over-acting in general. I *realize*
that the lip-licking was supposed to be a clue, since you
saw Moody do it every once in awhile on accident, but, again,
that makes me feel like my intelligence is being insulted,
or that they're pandering to the non-book reading audience
(read the dang books!)
The world cup was AWESOME. The stadium was perfect, and I
actually got a little dizzy at times. My favorite part was
the crowd holding up the GINORMOUS moving Viktor Krum signs.
SO COOL. The dancing leprechaun looked a little silly, though.
Heh. I was disappointed we didn't see the Death Eaters (whom
I found suitably creepy here, with the chanting) levitating
the muggles. I know for a fact that you could see it in the
trailer, so I'm confused why they went through the trouble
making it, then cutting it. In my opinion, the muggle-torture
adds a billion percent to the horror of that scene.
The scenes between Dumbledore and McGonagall & Snape were
odd.. the ones that aren't in the book about whether or not
to allow the tournament to go on with Harry in it... whether
or not to allow these events to unfold for the time being.
I wonder if that's J.K. Rowling approved script?
After a spectacularly heart wrenching and creepy graveyard
scene, the movie's ending was... kind of anticlimactic. Just...
a strange ending to me. Oh well. Huh. The music was good,
much more subtle, and I like that Fawkes had a cameo. Here's
hoping for a great 5th movie!!
Number of Times Seen in the Theater: 4
|
 Harry
Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Man, I tell you what... these movies just keep getting better
and better! Order of the Phoenix moved quickly, extremely
quickly, especially considering how large the source book
is. But it was a skillful editing job, because there were
very few things that I was upset about being left out... and
generally everything I was sad about being left out were tiny
details (such as Fawkes swallowing the 'Avada Kedavra' spell
that Voldemort shoots at Dumbledore in the Ministry of Magic,
the lack of the gold statues coming alive and a few other
little things like that). The actors keep getting better and
better, too, and it was a joy to watch Neville and Luna especially.
Snape was enjoyable, and Umbridge was excellent.
Usually there is a part in these movies that is not-so-spectacular
and action-packed in the books, but that the movie makers
feel they need to 'spice up' for the film version. I've complained
about this in all my previous reviews, and this movie, sadly,
had a moment like this: the rescue of Harry from the Dursleys
was disappointing. I wanted to learn more about Tonks and
see Moody more, but instead of taking the opportunity to flesh
out these characters a wee bit more, they chose to go on a
spectacular ride through London. Sure, it looked cool. But
it was a bit irksome because of it's direct opposition to
the world of Harry. Namely, that they would NOT be so visable,
flying in plain sight of Muggles and Deatheaters. I just can't
help but wonder how many memories would have to be modified
after that little joyride. Oh well.
On the plus side, they did an excellent job of not coddling
those in the audience who have not read the books. There were
many little details thrown in without too much explaination
that might confuse the non-readers, and they didn't waste
time over-explaining these things. I really appreciated that!
So many nice little nods to the hardcore fans, such as Tonks
changing her noses at dinner, the extendable ears, super-creepy
and awesome Kreacher and the hidden painting, and so forth.
The effects were top-notch, though Grawp looked a little weird
to me. But the centaurs seemed to be improved (and were wisely
kept in the shadows) and the thestrals were rad. The production
design of the Ministry and Grimmauld Place and Umbridge's
office were all perfect in my opinion, and using the newspaper
for transitions was clever and effective. I like that the
Patronuses are resembling proper animals now, rather than
the random blasts with hints of antlers we were treated to
in 'Azkaban'. The battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore
at the end was pretty neat-o. Even though I missed some of
the specifics of the battle (mentioned in the first paragraph),
they did a breathtaking job with effects and just getting
across a feeling of sheer magical power,
both of Dumbledore and Voldemort. The booming sound effects
helped with this, and that scene was really exciting to me.
While I wasn't pleased with some of the dialogue changes (I
feel some important parts of J.K.R.'s original meaning got
simplified down too much, to just "Harry, your friends
are important"), but whatever.
Overall, an excellent film. Loved the music, loved that many
of my favorite parts were included, and anytime Fawkes gets
to kick some butt is A-OK with me!
Number of Times Seen in the Theater: 2 so
far!! Still gotta go a few more times!
|
| Harry
Potter and the Half Blood Prince |
| Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows |
top
|
